Playoff Live Thread: Cavs vs Pacers
2018-04-15
We’ve been waiting for 10 months. The NBA’s second season officially starts today for the Cavs, and we’ll shortly know whether Cleveland’s regular season issues were just due to malaise or if this roster is fatally flawed. For Indiana, it’s their chance to put the ghost of Paul George behind them, and for Victor Oladipo to make playoff hay.
The Cavs official starting lineup is George Hill, Rodney Hood, LeBron James, Jeff Green, and Kevin Love. For Indy, we’re gonna see Darren Collison, Victor Oladipo, Bojan Bogdanovic, Thaddeus Young, and Myles Turner. The Cavs are finally healthy (knock on wood) with a full lineup for the first time in forever, and Indy is by all accounts healthy as well.
When they last met, Cleveland won 115-108, despite Vic’s 25-6-7 line. Part of that was due to the Cavs’ trapping Oladipo and forcing him into four turnovers.Of course that was against a different Cavs team that even got 14 unexpected points from Derrick Rose. Now, the Cavs are longer and faster, and should be able to disrupt passing lanes and recover from traps and doubles more quickly. Expect the Cavs to make Thad Young beat them, as he he’s only shooting 32% from three.
Expect the Pacers to try to force the ball inside to Myles Turner, who they have to feel has an advantage over Kevin Love and Jeff Green. The Pacers other big “advantage” is that they’re one of the best mid-range shooting teams in the league. Turner is a great example of this, as there are no spots inside the arc where he shoots less than 41% (basketball reference). Guarding these Pacers everywhere is a good plan that is tough to execute. To that effect, consistent communication on switches would also be really nice.
The other key is controlling the defensive boards. The Pacers are 17th in the NBA on the o-boards, as is Cleveland. But as we’ve seen, the Cavs can lose track of athletic bigs and wings from the weak side and it has cost them games. Hopefully they’ve been doing box-out drills to control the boards. For my Money, Kevin Love is most important this game on those D-Boards.
For Cleveland, a consistent George Hill, a structured offense for Nance, Clarkson, and Hood, as well as an absence of Tristan Thompson are keys. Oh, and that LeBrob James guy. Prediction: 120-108 Cavs.
Someone has to step up now if LeBron sits.
Too many missed freebies for my taste. Thank god for Nance.
What the hell is Jeff green doing in the game at the end of quarters!?
Coach Lue.
Should had been KK, Jose, Cedi or anyone else who can shoot a 3pt at over 40%
Love with a chance for 4!
Guys. Let’s just be happy Tony Brothers isn’t our official for this game…
ARGH.JEFF GREEN.
Smart play Nance! bring it back out…. too bad it was Green on that open 3 LOL.
I dont understand the technical foul ruling and not a Flagrant 1?
No one understands it…
Supposedly the foul was for earlier action and then tech was for action after the initial foul call
What is a flagrant!?
Yeah 2 shots and ball I thought. Maybe there was a tech?
Collison finally hit one. Indy may be collapsing. Should be a flagrant on lance, unnecessary contact to the head
Gotta make the free throws in this kind of game…
Why are the Cavs continuously leaving shooters wide open.
Modus operandi
It’s Lue’s secret plan
Flagrant 2 please.
Yes please. That was gunning for his head/neck area.
Can we just stop and admire how great it is to have LeBron James and KLove on our Cleveland team? Down a billion points and we still have a chance. In the playoffs.
Comeback started because of Nance and Jr. James was utterly and completely checked out until then
Flagrant on Lance!!! Only a matter of time before he implodes!
I was wondering when going under on collison was gonna burn them.
Great coaching on the #1 3PT shooter in the league.
K love with a Trey and a horrible foul by sabonis.
GD IT JR!!!! WTF WAS THAT DEFENSE!!! LAZY!
7.
Pacers getting sloppy.cavs taking advantage
Kev and 1
KLOVE WITH THE THREEE AND THE FOUL!!!!!
Dan Gilbert is on the phone with John Calipari right now for Game 2
Nance running. Been a diff maker
Like father like son!!!!
LNJ! Chance for single digits!
Thank God Nance actually gives a crap
There we go NANCE
CLARKSON TO NANCE!!!!! NANCE WITH THE DESIRE!!!
Great steal and pass, Clarkson!
LBJ in the post is unstoppable.
Jr making some 3s. Pacers couldn’t get out that time
Oladipo doing what he wants….cavs gotta make it hard for him
Now we just have to wait for Lue to bench Nance for TT…
Nice hustle by Nance
Come on Cavs! JR & Nance!
JR only guy willing to shoot right now.
At least Nance has some fight in him
Swish!
Great steal, Larry.
Too many funky plays and little energy and not making shots…bad combo
Get this lead down to 10 heading into the 4th and we have a game. We’re getting a ton of shots – if they start going down, we can score in a hurry. LeBron’s body language needs to change immediately.
On the plus side apparently Kawhi/pop relationship is broken. Hill, Cedi, and the pick for Kawhi
Not sure if it was bad coaching/planning or the players thought it was gonna be a cakewalk. Wtf?
Lebron needs to sit and rest if team plays and steps up….gotta learn at some point
Great shot by JR, but thats not an offense
GD put Korver in with Love or Smith and run some pin downs and Shiite. We need to know some 3s down
JR finally taking the three as the pass comes to him. Should’ve been doing that all game.
Thank God for JR. Nice to,Pacers.
The Cavs should be down by more.
I can’t believe Cavs are not down by 30 at this point.
This team is done
Calderon did NOT want to have LeBron run the offense on that play
LeBron letting frustration get to him, very rare to see this in a playoff game
LBJ with weak hands on the pass and then forcing the action and giving up a TO.
Pacers just punking us right now
LeBron has ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE BODY LANGUAGE RIGHT NOW. Holy jesus
LeBron’s attitude stinks
Yep. Switch flipped off. This team’s lack of execution, preparation, and caring in the regular season is finally catching them. They look completely unprepared and like they just walked into a test without even having tried to study.
Agreed–the thirty starting lineup stat is more frightening when you think how little these guys have played with each other. Couple that with playoff newbs, little offensive planning, less defensive interest, an ill coach… and yep, not even the best player on the planet can save you…
If he doesn’t play with more aggression in the 4th then I guess he is just really pissed at Ty Lue.
Cavs can’t hit shots either
No Cedi or Zz????
Read Lue’s presser–they are going ten deep in the playoffs, and TT , Zz and Cedi were not listed…
The most painful thing is 18 pts totally doable but this team has nothing
God insanely ugly offensive possession.
Cavs offense is bizarre like what’s the plan
See my impression of Lue and players before the game below.
Lucky collison is cold as ice. Left him wide open at least three times
We have yet to get 2 straight good games from Hill or Hood.
Really lucked out on that Collison three attempt. No idea why neither guy stepped up
LeBron is just standing a the perimeter
WTF is JR doing…
I’m not so even sure what is going on. Is not like the Pacers are playing insane defense. The Cavs are just horrid right now.
Really trying to resist erupting with hate towards this team……